Target, indicator and tethered projectile

ABSTRACT

A target game apparatus wherein a resiliently tethered aerial projectile is aimed at and propelled to impact a target button which, in turn, releases a sliding striker, so that when the striker is released, it is moved toward and strikes a bell, and registers on the face of the clock.

8/1912 Lasares 273/102.1 D

// II/II/Il/II/IY/I/I/ United States Patent [1 1 1111' 3,856,306 Petrusek Dec. 24, 1974 [54] TARGET, INDICATOR AND TETHERED 1,293,566 2/1919 Snyder 273/98 PROJECTILE 1 1,730,310 10/1929 Weidenfeld 2731/1021 1) 2,059,918 11/1936 Straka 273/102.1 D Inventor: Vwtor Petrusek, 18511 Gottschalk, 2,237,986 4/1941 Gilford.. 273/98 Homewood, Ill. 60430 2,911,758 11/1959 Carson 1. 273/DIG. 25

[22] Ffle'd: July 1973 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oec'hsle [21] Appl. No.: 377,406 Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind i Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sabin C. Bronson [52] US. Cl 273/98, 273/D1G. 25, 273/102.l C

51 Int. Cl A63b 72/01 {57] ABSTRACT 581 Field of Search...; 273/97 R, 98, 102.1 R, A target g apparatus wherein a reslllemly tethered 273 102 1 C, 102 1 D, 25 serial projectile is aimed atand propelled to impact a target button which, in turn, releases'a sliding striker, I [5 Refe en e Cited so that when the striker is released, it is moved toward UNITED STATES PATENTS and strikes a bell, and registers on the face of the 607,159 7/1898 Busse 273/98 clock 1,036,651 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ,q rzhing] I/IIII/IIIIIII/ TARGET, INDICATOR AND TETHERED PROJECTILE BACKGROUNDSUMMARYDRAWINGS ientlytethered aerial projectile is capable of being aimed at and propelled to impact a target button which, in turn, releases a sliding striker so that the latter hits and sounds a bell.

More specifically, the invention provides a highly amusing and entertaining target game apparatus of the general type above outlined wherein the target is embodied in the representation of a grandfather clock having the bell at the center of a simulated clock dial, and wherein the bell striker is in the form of a mouse which runs up the clock when the target is hit, thus transforming the well known nursery rhyme into an animated physical entity.

Also, as another feature of the invention, the aerial projectile which cooperates with the target button is resiliently tethered to the bell which is spaced away from the'target button, so that substantial skill is required in aiming and releasing the projectile in order for itto impact the target.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of suction cup means whereby the device may be easily but removably mounted on a wall or other vertical supporting surface.

' Other advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity of construction, entertaining operation, in its durability, and in its adaptability to convenient and economi cal manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the target game apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken from the rear of the device;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of'the line 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane .of the line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the target game device of the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral and embodies in its construction a vertically elongated support tical supporting surface such as a wall 18 by means of a suction cup 19 providedion the back of the upper porposition by a compression spring 17 provided on the back of the lower housing portion for engagement with the wall 18 as will be apparent. By

virtue of the suction cut, the device may be easily applied to or removed from the wall, as required.

The front wall of the housing 1 l is formed with a vertical slot 21 which extends upwardly from the target button 16 toward the bell l3 and provides guide means for a slidable bell striker 22 which simulates the form of a mouse running up the clock, in context of the well known nursery rhyme. The striker 22 has a plate-like portion 22 which is slidable in the guide slot'21 and projects into the housing 11, being provided with a bevelled detent 23 and an anchor post 24, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

The inner end of the target button 16 is provided with a lateral extension or tab 25 having an aperture 26 formed therein to receive the detent 23 of the striker 22, whereby the striker is releasably held at the lower end portion of the guide slot 21 whenthe button 16 is in its undepressed position. An endless elastic band 27 extends from the anchor post 24 upwardly to a similar post 28 provided at a fixed point in the housing abovethe upper end of the slot 21, so that when the button 16 is depressed as indicated by the arrow 29' in FIG.

4, the apertured tab 25 of the button is disengaged from the detent 23 and the striker 22 isreleased so that by propulsion of the elastic band 27 the striker slides upwardly along the'slot 21 and impacts against the bell 13 to sound the same and simultaneously registers on the face of the clock by illuminating means within the housing, not shown, but common in such devices.

The target may be reset by manually sliding the striker 22 downwardly until the detent 23 again enters the tab aperture 26, it being noted that the bevelled configuration of the detent makes such engagement possible without binding of the parts. During downward sliding of the striker by manual force the elastic band 27 is stretched into readiness for the next cycle of operation. A pair of blocks 29, or the like, are provided in the housing at opposite sides of the button tab 25, whereby to prevent the target button from turning and assure that the tab is always properlyaligned with the detent 23.

The target button 16 is adapted to be impacted by an I downwardly along the slot 21- until the keeper means tion of the housing 11, while a suitable abutment 20 is 23, 25 become engaged and the elastic-band 27 is stretched. The projectile 30 is then grasped and pulled away from the housing 11, thus stretching the elastic tethering element or cord 31. With proper aim being taken, the projectile is released for propulsion by the elastic cord 31 toward the target 15,and if the target button 16 is hit by the projectile, releasing of the keeper means 23, 25 permits the striker 22 to slide upwardly by the action of the band 27 so that the striker hits and sounds the bell l3 and registers on the face of the clock.

It will be observed that since the elastic cord 31 is tethered to the element 14 which is spaced away from the target button 16, the elastic cord normally tends to propel the ball 30 toward element 14 rather than toward the target button. Thus, it is necessary to take cordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure, and various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a target game apparatus, the combination of a vertically elongated housing adapted to be mounted on a vertical supporting surface, a target provided on the lower portion of said housing and including a depressible button, resilient means in said housing biasing said button to its undepressed position, a bell provided in the upper portion of the housing in spaced relation from said button, said housing having guide means extending vertically from said button toward said bell, said guide means constituted by a slot formed in said housing, a striker movable along said guide means with a portion thereof projecting into said slot and slidable therein, coacting keepermeans provided on said projecting portion of said striker and on said button for releasably retaining the striker at a point on said guide means adjacent-said button when the button is undepressed, resilient means for propelling said striker along said guide means to impact said bell when said keeper means are released by depressing of the button,

an aerial projectile cooperable with said target button,

an elongated elastic element tethering said projectile to said bell, said releasable keeper means comprising an apertured tab provided on said button in said housing, and a bevelled detent provided on said projecting portion of said striker, said detent being receivable in the aperture of said tab.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient means for propelling said striker comprise an elastic band anchored-in said housing and connected to said projecting portion of the striker. 

1. In a target game apparatus, the combination of a vertically elongated housing adapted to be mounted on a Vertical supporting surface, a target provided on the lower portion of said housing and including a depressible button, resilient means in said housing biasing said button to its undepressed position, a bell provided in the upper portion of the housing in spaced relation from said button, said housing having guide means extending vertically from said button toward said bell, said guide means constituted by a slot formed in said housing, a striker movable along said guide means with a portion thereof projecting into said slot and slidable therein, coacting keeper means provided on said projecting portion of said striker and on said button for releasably retaining the striker at a point on said guide means adjacent said button when the button is undepressed, resilient means for propelling said striker along said guide means to impact said bell when said keeper means are released by depressing of the button, an aerial projectile cooperable with said target button, an elongated elastic element tethering said projectile to said bell, said releasable keeper means comprising an apertured tab provided on said button in said housing, and a bevelled detent provided on said projecting portion of said striker, said detent being receivable in the aperture of said tab.
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient means for propelling said striker comprise an elastic band anchored in said housing and connected to said projecting portion of the striker. 